Young people urged to partake in formulation of new youth policy |09 September 2023

(From left to right) Mrs Albert, Ms Jeannevol, Mr Duncan and Marcus Mederic (Photo: Laura Pillay)

The department of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) yesterday launched a call for young people to actively participate in a survey to formulate the 2024-2028 Youth Policy, which will come into effect as of January 2024.

In a bid to maximise participation, the survey is available online on the Youth and Sports department‘s website, its Facebook page and the SNYC’s Facebook platform.

The current 2018-2023 policy will come to an end in December 2023.

According to chief policy analyst of the Youth and Sports department, Begitta Jeannevol, the dialogue with relevant stakeholders has already kicked off, as well as with young professionals.

The authorities are turning their sights to the youths to convey their opinions on the implementation of the current policy, as well as their propositions and key priority areas for the new document.

“The survey has already started in government departments, who have provided us with their reports relating to youth activities. We have also engaged with the youths in professional centres, through the Ministry of Education.”

“However, we are conscious that we will not reach all youths either in formal education or employment, but we will reach them in communities,” Ms Jeannevol stated.

The SNYC has trained a number of youths in ethics and digital data collection, to touch the youths at community-level.  The three-part questionnaire focuses on the contents of the current policy, which was popularised at school-level following its launch in 2019, and their proposals as to how to reach as many youths as possible in implementing the policy.

In addition to the survey questionnaires and exchanges with relevant public departments, there will be focus group interviews and targeted group forums.

Other stakeholders from the private sector and civil society who are actively involved with youths are also encouraged to participate.

A final report is expected to be produced by the end of October.

The current policy was also formulated based on the opinions of youths, although the authorities relied on the expertise of a consultant.

Chief executive of SNYC, Albert Duncan, added that emphasis is on active engagement of youths in decisions that affect them.

“It is important that we listen to them and that they provide their input in the policy,” Mr Duncan stated.

According to the principal planning officer of the Youth and Sports department, Merna Albert, it is imperative to ensure that all youths are made aware of the policy provisions.

It was revealed during the mid-year review that a significant proportion of youths were unaware of the policy and its provisions.

Furthermore, it is important that despite having a long-term vision or strategy, the concerned entities remain flexible to adapt to the fast-changing environment, and trends affecting the youths.

“The youth policy is a vision, a plan that is established for the development of youths over the next five years. This means that all government commitments will be targeted at the plan. Thus, it is really important that youths partake in the exercise and give their time to do so, as it will dictate where government focuses for the next five years.”

“If we fail to get it right, we will have a vision that does not necessarily meet the needs of our youths,” Mrs Albert added.

Laura Pillay